The insurance price is encouraging scammers to a new type of scam: fake websites and non-existent companies ask you for money
October 23, 2024
A new type of online scam involving motorists looking for an insurance policy is raising much concern: it all starts from an investigation by the Carabinieri of San Lorenzo Dorsino (TN) who have unmasked a new form of online scam, involving a man and a woman both resident in Campania 30 years old, accused of having orchestrated a fraud against an unsuspecting forty-year-old from Trentino. Pretending to be an employee of one well-known insurance company, the scammer posted an ad online with an attractive offer: car insurance at rock-bottom prices for small-engine vehicles.
The offer was very convenient, around 800 euros for complete insurance and, attracted by the very low figure, the victim contacted the fake insurer and, convinced that he had found a deal, followed all the instructions provided. He then sent his documents and a bank transfer; after a few days, not seeing any documents arrive, the forty-year-old tried to contact the so-called insurer again, only to discover that the telephone number was no longer active.
The episode has put the spotlight on a worrying phenomenon that appears to be growing rapidly. The police forces invite citizens to pay the utmost attention and always check the reliability of the sources before proceeding with online payments, especially in cases of offers that are too advantageous
The precautions to take are few and quick: check the IVASS register if the advertised company is included among those authorized (both Italian and foreign); It is possible – as in the case of the complaint – that the so-called “insurer” is posing as an agent of an accredited company, and in this case a check with the Company’s customer service is sufficient. Do not send wire transfers (in particular instant transfers, which are irrevocable) to current accounts that are not registered in the name of insurance companies, which as a rule never use this system but employ collection systems through credit cards. Always be wary in the case of economic offers that are clearly too low; It’s easy to get an idea of current policy prices using one of several online comparators.
